the United Arab Emirates Archives - IUVMPRESS

While, Arab-Israel relations have been taking place behind closed doors. The article stated the United Arab Emirates is a pioneer of open relations with Israel. The UAE assigned its ambassador to Washington in this regard.

Egyptian newspaper al-Badil published an article on September 5, 2017, stating that security officials of the CIA and Mossad held a meeting recently, concluding to replace Jabhat al-Nusra, which they had supported and strengthened for a long time, with ISIS, which has all but collapsed in Syria.

Osama al-Absi al-Wahidi known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the Jabhat al-Nusra leader, was released from Camp Bucca prison in 2008 and joined ISIS’s leader and its governor in Iraq, Abu Muslim Turkmani. The move wasn’t a show of sympathy by the US government for this person and it wasn’t an accident. All these measures took place in order to implement US-Israeli plans in Syria and Iraq.

On the other hand, Jabhat al-Nusra and Jaysh al-Islam, which is led by the Saudi-backed Zahran Alloush, resolved their disputes. It is one of the key battlefield developments that the JAN has seen in the past few months.

After Zahran Alloush visited Saudi Arabia in the last Hajj season, a lot of details were leaked from the visit including his covert meeting with Sulaiman al-Alwan who is the greatest al-Qaeda supporter in Saudi Arabia. After Alloush came back from Saudi Arabia, he began discussing the unity of the opposition groups in Syria including Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Liwa al-Tawhid, Suqour al-Sham, and Liwa al-Haqq in order to form a united front called Al-Jabha Al-Islamiya.

One day following the foundation of the latter, Alloush started to work out his former differences with Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria and stated that they are both on the same side. On the other hand, JAN immediately congratulated the formation of al-Jabha al-Islamiya on the following day and thanked Alloush via its religious leader Abu Maria Al-Qahtani for creating unity among them.

It is notable that there is harmony and alliance between the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Syria, and that is why they were able to agree on strengthening al-Nusra Front and supporting it. It could be a huge blow to Turkey and Qatar which supported the group with the coverage of Jaish al-Fatah.

The continuation of the war on Yemen, the increase in arms costs and the low oil prices increase the negative effects on the struggling economy.

Studies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirm that the Saudi war in Yemen has cost Riyadh a heavy price, not only in smearing Saudi Arabia’s already distorted reputation for its crimes in Yemen and its support of terrorist and tyrannical groups around the world. Studies also indicated that the war cost more than 200 million dollars every day for the bedrock countries (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain). There are also fantastic numbers and numbers in the bill of this false war. The cost of this war is estimated at $ 20 billion to $ 660 billion and the other $ 700 billion. March 25, 2017.

The International Monetary Fund said that the Saudi economy for this year stopped growing by up to 0 per cent due to the decline in oil revenues, as the latest data to a rate of zero 1 percent in the first half of this year, after it was zero in four Cent.

The International Monetary Fund predicted that the budget deficit will reach 20% of the GDP, affected by the financial situation due to low oil prices, as observers in the economy, the cost of war on Yemen drain the Saudi economy, and Saudi Arabia and its allies, led by the UAE, which has many ambitions In Yemen, they have slipped into a big predicament and have been embroiled in a war of attrition of the caliber that is almost like the attrition of America in its wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. This attrition has clearly manifested itself in the huge spending on the war that has not stopped since its inception more than two years ago. Buy more weapons and employ more Saudi people’s money and savings in this war that has not achieved any tangible results on the ground.

A major economic crisis in the language of numbers:

Economic studies indicate that the GDP growth rate in Saudi Arabia in 2012 reached about 5.4%, falling to 0.1%, which is close to zero, according to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund for the current year. The real GDP decreased from 5.1% in 2012 to -1.9% in 2017, while the real non-oil GDP declined from 5.5% to 1.7% during the same period.

GDP in 2012 was about $ 736 billion, falling to $ 646 billion in 2016. The IMF expects $ 692 billion in 2017.

Foreign assets also did not maintain their position. Net foreign assets dropped from $ 737 billion in 2014, before King Salman bin Abdul Aziz took power, to $ 529 billion in 2016.

Unemployment under the current Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz increased from 11.5 in 2015 to 12.3 in 2016, up to 25% according to unofficial estimates, despite job creation and the dismissal of thousands of expatriate workers. From abroad, raising public debt to more than $ 84.4 billion for 2016, compared with $ 38 billion the year before.

Stagnation in the stock market

Initial developments in the Saudi stock market are also in a state of stagnation, as the declining economic conditions in the Kingdom are falling due to the fall in oil prices. The Saudi market has not seen initial proposals since June 2016, Oasis “after the start of the IPO last Sunday, compared to 3 initial rounds last year worth 2.8 billion riyals ($ 747 million).

Look for a way out amid a liquidity shortfall

In a bid to plug the fiscal deficit, the Saudi government has withdrawn more than $ 80 billion in foreign reserves since August. In a subsequent move, the kingdom’s authorities have sent local banks to issue 20 billion Saudi riyals ($ 5.33 billion) to finance the budget deficit.

The Saudi government also plans to raise 5 percent of Aramco’s shares for public subscription in 2018, with the aim of using the proceeds from the offering to diversify the economy.

However, economists attributed the absence of subscriptions to the Saudi market to several main reasons, the most important of which are liquidity weakness, Oil, the main source of income in the Kingdom, as well as the decline in the valuation of assets, and confirms from traders and economists in Riyadh that the disappearance of IPOs from the stock market due to a number of reasons, most notably the decline in liquidity traded in recent years in the stock market, hovering near 4 billion At the current economic cycle, asset valuations are much lower than in the past.

Thus, companies that intend to offer a portion of their shares will be subject to a decline in the valuation of their assets compared to being in a more buoyant or growing economic cycle, which prompts companies to postpone the offer until the situation improves.

The bad economic conditions in Saudi Arabia and the role of the war on Yemen in these situations forced Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to discuss with Western officials a way out of the war in Yemen. The British Independent newspaper revealed a few days ago that Saudi Arabia wants to get out of the quagmire in Yemen which is a strong confirmation of the role of the war on Yemen in the exhaustion of the Saudi economy.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum added: “our approach to developmental policies is based on the economic aspect, having clean international relations, not interfering in the affairs of neighbors and entering endless wars.”

Sheikh Rashid criticized Abu Dhabi’s approach and political positions and stated: “security, political and military activities of Abu Dhabi were conducted without any coordination and collective consultation. It is desirable not to act unilaterally for making international and regional decisions.”

“Qatar’s siege had a negative impact on the global economy and caused heavy losses for us,” he added at the end. “We openly suggest dialogue and negotiation as the only solution to the end of the Gulf crisis. We always adopt the approach of integration, cooperation, mutual respect and avoiding any tension in the Gulf region.”

The former chief of the Dubai Police Force Dhahi Khalfan has become famous since 2010 along with assassination of Mabhouh, the senior Hamas military commander in Dubai. At that time, Khalfan was the main suspect to assassination of Hamas commander. The question was; how is a senior member of Hamas assassinated in a country surrounded in cameras?

Khalfan is a former police chief in a country that is a brand according to the nation-building theory and thanked to the Chinese architectural engineers. Khalfan is strongly supported by the sons of Zayed. He also has a friendly and intimate relationship with the Israelis. His friendly relationship with Sheikh Zayed was the main reason that he was resigned by the ruler of Dubai.

Khalfan writes the points he was dictated. According to users of Arab states, he does not have a personality independence and the power to express his positions.

Khalfan is interested in making weird comments more than pursuing criminals. How a police chief is given opportunity as much as a political feature? It is a question that can find its answer in his new mission to create a contaminated political space.

Looking at his tweets, it can easily be understood that he doesn’t have a stable character and the power to express his positions. Once he wrote about ISIS that it’s founded by Americans. Another time, he posted it is the product of Russia’s policy for confronting the United States. He also said Israel is the real leader of ISIS. Just look at the four conflicting tweets that are about the subject:

*ISIS is an extended version of the Muslim Brotherhood organization. It is the fourth generation of terrorists.

*The US knows Israel is the real leader of ISIS. That’s why we think ISIS is complicated, but it’s not. The United States does not want to reveal the secret.

*ISIS is a group that Russia has created to fight the US in the Middle East to take revenge on the establishment of al-Qaeda by the United States that was involved with Russia in Afghanistan.

*ISIS is al-Qaeda that the US changed its name after it failed to destroy it. An ordinary citizen thinks al-Qaeda’s terror campaign is over. ISIS is a new threat that he is facing.

Dhahi Khalfan’s tweets

Such comments can be evaluated as follows:

-Dhahi Khalfan is an executive to policies which are dictated to him from inside and outside.

-He didn’t posted his tweets. Therefore, there is no coordination in all of them.

-Most likely, there are more people managing Khalfan’s tweets, so there is no fit and harmony in these comments. His tweets reflect the positions of several streams in different situations.

However, it seems Khalfan’s mission that is to create chaos on social media is about to end. But it is said the Qatar crisis has provided an opportunity to revive the role of the Emirati clown. In particular, he is supposed to play a key role in attacking Qataris. We shall wait and see more weird and ridiculous tweets from him in future. He called anti-Saudi sentiment as a crime.

According to the correspondent siting US senator Jerry Moran’s Twitter page, who was present at the meeting, Johnny Isakson has proposed that Oman troops shall be deployed as a third party and a UN mediator to al-Hadida.

Isakson asserted that “we should not use any military capacity of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Egypt in the project.” He believes that Saudi Arabia can not end and win the crisis in Yemen.

He pointed out issuing the resolution by the United Nations is the only way to stop the crisis and war in this country and to achieve a political solution.

Riyadh as the main sponsor of Abed Rabbo has failed to establish a comprehensive government in Yemen. Riyadh and Abed Rabbo have to make serious adjustments in their expectations. It’s not logical that Riyadh expects the United Nations and other countries to provide its benefits.

It is worth mentioning that the war between Yemen and Saudi Arabia has reached its 3rd birthday for about 4 months. According to the United Nations, 8,000 people have been killed and nearly 42,000 people have been injured, so far. The life situation for Yemeni women and children become very difficult. It is notable that Saudi-led air strikes were responsible for 60% of civilian deaths.

Speaking at a round-table debate in Parliament, the former British ambassador to Riyadh , Sir William Patey, claimed that accused Saudi regime of backing ultra-orthodox version of Wahhabisim – a bizarre form of Sunni Islam practiced in oil-rich Arab nation– in United Kingdom and across Europe.

“ …I believe Saudis are funding this backward ideology which can ultimately lead to extremism among Muslim communities in the UK. They [ Saudis] can not appreciate the enormous impacts their sinister activities play in Europe and North America,” AFP quoted the former British emissary as saying.

Sir William Patey

Although they do not seek to propagate overt acts of terrorism, added Sir Patey, but their current activities may ,down the road, lead to certain individuals being brainwashed and becoming fodder for terrorism; thus, the British Government must face up to bitter truths relating to the Saudis, who are major purchasers of arms manufactured in the UK.

“It is unhealthy and we need to do something about it.”

Sir William, 64, was British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2006 to 2010 and has headed the Foreign Office Middle East desk.

The Conservative Middle East Council, which organised the debate, aims to “ensure that Conservative MPs and Peers understand the Middle East”.

The opposition has criticized the Government for not publishing a report into the funding of extremist groups in the UK, claiming the move is intended to avoid criticizing Saudi Arabia.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “The most common source of support for extremist organisations in the UK is from small, anonymous public donations in oil-rich Arab countries, with the majority of these donations most likely coming from UK-based individuals.”

In a written statement to Parliament about the government-commissioned report, she said the Home Office has refused to publish the report due to “the volume of personal information it contains and for national security reasons”.

Sir William also criticized recent moves by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to isolate Qatar.

“This has all the hallmarks of a policy that has not been thought through. It does not smack of a considered strategy,” he said

Sir William identified what he perceives as the real motive for the dispute between the neighboring states.

“This is about the Muslim Brotherhood. It is a battle for the future of the Middle East.”

The former ambassador’s Linkedin profile lists his current occupations as non-executive director of HSBC in the Middle East, as well as adviser to AECOM engineering firm and Control Risks, a global risk consultancy.

In the report Infantino said that Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mauritania, UAE, Bahrein and Egypt pointed out to “Qatar’s Black Record on Terrorism” and asked FIFA to cancel this hosting according to the Article 85 of FIFA Code on the cancelling the World Cup host in case of any emergency.

According to Infantino, the countries have indicated that if FIFA opposes their request they will send a letter to the member countries asking to hold an opinion poll to make a decision on the matter.

In response to our correspondent question on FIFA’s acceptance or rejection, Infantino emphasized on the possibility of accepting this request saying: “FIFA’s mechanisms and regulations are crystal clear, in this case we should look forward to see what will happen on FIFA’s next meeting”.

As Infantino pointed out the replacement of the Word Cup hosting as it is not unprecedented event as FIFA chose Mexico to host the 13th World Cup as it Originally scheduled to be held in Colombia on 1986.

Infantino also went on to say: “The above mentioned countries warned FIFA of the risks threatening fans and football player’s security in a country that is “The base and the castle of Terrorism”.

He also pointed out to the harsh language they’ve used in the letter and threatened to boycott the Word Cup if FIFA does not respond positively to their request.

It worth to say that the prospect of Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup has been plunged into the most serious doubt after the country’s neighbours broke off diplomatic relations and blockaded its borders. In a culmination of hostilities simmering for years and accusations that Qatar is a major funder of terrorist organizations, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have closed the only land route into the tiny peninsula and refused to allow use of their sea ports or airspace.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men’s football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022.

Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, announced his country’s joint cooperation with Russia and China on the project of reconstructing Yemen and said the UAE is the only representative of GCC States in this project and no Arab country has a role in this contract.

The contract stipulates that the new Yemeni currency printed in Moscow will be transferred to the city of Aden in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. China will implement various infrastructure projects in the liberated provinces to reduce citizens’ pain and suffering and to provide services for them as efficiently as possible.

Dr. Gargash asserted that there is no problem between the Emirates and Ali Abdullah Saleh on implementing the project because of Moscow’s efforts and coordination with the former President of Yemen.

The document which were obtained from the Qatari embassy show that US deputy secretary of the treasury has told Qatar’s Ambassador to Washington Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari that the two princes have been in touch with Abdullah bin Fisal Alahdi and Ali bakr Hassan, the two infamous al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen. And Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan, the Saudi intelligence chief, has financially supported the two Yemeni terrorists.

In the six-page document, the US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury has clearly criticized bin Salman’s role in strengthening the ISIL and al-Qaeda in Yemen and its other neighboring countries. He told Qatar’s Ambassador the United States is not satisfied with Mohamed bin Salman’s actions toward the terrorist groups. “We expect him to be in perfect harmony with us.”

According to local sources, following the food poisoning of Turkish soldiers, Minister of National Defence, Turkish Health Minister and Commander of Army’s Ground Forces traveled to Manisa Province to investigate the factors and dimensions of the issue. 21 employees of the catering company which were providing food services at the military barracks have been detained.

Some informed sources announced the incident is not normal in this dimension and it is possible that intelligence agencies of some countries opposed to Ankara’s policies in the region were engaged.

It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt recently cut diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar. After that, Turkey has declared its full support for Qatar and deployed a group of troops to the country which its parliament has approved. The Al Jazeera network reported the first group of Turkish troops arrived and stationed at Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Doha, the capital of the country.

The annual Quds Day rallies have become a global phenomenon. Since Imam Khomeini first declared the last Friday of Ramadan as the Day of Quds in 1980, millions of people — Muslims and non-Muslims — have participated in such rallies each year to draw attention to the continued occupation of al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the first qiblah of Muslims, as well as the Zionist occupation of Palestine and the unending oppression of Palestinians.

Canadian expert on the Middle East Eric Walberg said Blackhouse, in an exclusive interview, that Al-Quds Day 2017 will be remembered as a turning point away from Saudi bullying, and towards a renewed movement of liberation for Palestine:

Do you think the Arab nations hold the same viewpoint with their countries’ leaders and rulers on the issue of Palestine?

From my experience, all Muslims see justice for Palestinians as the most important international issue. That said, most Muslims are concerned with their own struggles for survival, both because of poor economies, corruption and in some cases, direct invasion and occupation of their countries by the US.

So there is little room for the Palestinian issue as a priority in the struggle.

There is no room for independent grassroots activity in the Muslim world, as there is very weak civil society as yet, and a general understanding that the Palestine issue is one for the government to decide.

My experience as a journalist in Cairo showed me a range of opinions about Palestine, from passionate support to outright criticism of Palestinians, as poor cousins who demand support where there is little room for it, given the sorry state of Egypt, and the restrictions imposed by the Egypt-Israeli peace accord in 1979.

More than 90% of Egyptians see Israel as the enemy, and the weakness of Egypt in past confrontations with Israel makes Egyptians unwilling to provoke this formidable enemy. Egypt’s el-Sisi’s regime victimizes the Muslim Brotherhood and all other opponents mercilessly and accepts Saudi demands to keep Gaza isolated and to refuse to work with Hamas, the legitimate government in Gaza. Until Egypt returns to the path begun as a result of the Arab Spring, there is little hope for Gaza or the liberation of Palestine.

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states provide the most financial support and provide a haven for Palestinians to teach and work, but this is more a stop-gap, intended to keep a lid on Palestinian unrest. Current Saudi policy of labelling Hamas and Qatar as terrorists shows the Saudis’ true colours. It seems both Israel , the Saudis and the other conservative, rich Gulf city-states have an implicit understanding to maintain the status quo, which serves only Israel.

One of the conditions of Saudi Arabia for the restoration of relations with Qatar, is to cut ties with Hamas. How do you evaluate this issue?

Qatar and the United States signed a $12 billion deal in June 2017 for the sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters. The sale comes after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar over its support for Islamist groups. The deal aims to “increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar,” the Pentagon said.

The hypocrisy of this is embarrassing. Trump’s flip-flopping on crucial issues means he can please the Pentagon and the State Department, both supporting Qatari arms purchases and calling it a ‘supporter of terrorism’, and get away with it.

Qatar, for all its problems, is the only source the Middle East has for intelligent, unbiased reporting in the Arab world. Al-Jazeerah is the real reason the Saudis are so obsessed with undermining the Qatari government. This vendetta shows for the whole world how perfidious (and what bad political strategists) the Saudis are.

Hamas, for all its problems, is the most resolute voice politically speaking truth to Israel. It is not terrorist, operating according to accepted international rules about resisting illegal occupation.

Let us hope that Al-Quds Day 2017 will be remembered as a turning point away from Saudi bullying, and towards a renewed movement of liberation for Palestine.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Khalid Al Attiyah wrote on his Twitter page: “Qatar has information that suggests a number of PKK leaders met with Emirati intelligence chief last month. Qatar handed the information and documents to Turkey and they will be released soon.”

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, has reported Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir reached an agreement with Russia and the United States to make peace among all Yemeni groups within the next three months.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani added: “according to the agreement, Yemeni President Mansour Hadi will be deposed and a reliable person to all parties will be chosen for establishing a coalition government.”

Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs added: “as the disputes between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia increased in Yemen, it is possible that the Emirates independently divide Southern Yemen from the North. So in this regard, the Saudi foreign minister promised Russia to solve this problem considering all political groups in Yemen’s future.”

Commenting on the dismissal of Aden’s governor by Yemeni President and the southerners’ countermeasure for the independence of the southern part, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said: “the former governor has not yet accepted Mansour Hadi’s decision on his dismissal. We need more time to compensate for such errors.”

It is worth mentioning that former governor of Aden Aidarous al-Zubaidi along with Yemen’s ex-cabinet minister Hani Bin Braik left Saudi Arabia for the Emirates last Friday to solve the problem.

Informed sources in Qatar revealed that Muhhamad bin Zayed and Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed had a meeting on Monday 27 February in Qasr al Shati in which the two sides discussed bilateral military and defense relations and the ways to boost them. The two men agreed that Pakistan give 1,500 experienced troops to the United Arab Emirates to be participate in the Yemen war under the flag of the UAE.

The UAE in exchange promised to prepare working conditions for more than 2,000 Pakistanis in the Emirates as well as to pay a monthly salary of $10,000 to every Pakistani mercenary. Besides, the UAE pledged to pay $100,000 as blood money to the family of each soldier who is killed in the conflict.

The Government of the United Arab Emirates, has banned Taliban against travelling to the country to attend the funeral of the country’s ambassador who was killed in the attack in Kandahar.

According to the Middle East News Agency, the Afghan government has also welcomed the move and views this kind of approach as a means of isolating the armed Taliban.

The Executive President of the National Unity Government says that the Afghan has welcomed the move by the United Arab Emirates to cut ties with the armed Taliban. He also says that this matter shows that the terroristic groups have been isolated and this action will destroy them.

The source considers any ties with the terrorists as dangerous for the region and the world and said that any ties with the terroristic group will only help in making them stronger. Juma Mohammad Al-Kaabi, the UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan who was wounded last month in a bomb attack in a provincial governor’s guest house in Kandahar, passed away in last week due to severe injuries.

In this regard, the Taliban wanted to deny any involvement in the assassination of the UAE Ambassador by participating in his funeral. But the UAE government did not allow this delegation to attend the funeral.

Avichai Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-speaking spokesman, wrote on his Twitter account: “The United Arab Emirates is no longer a safe place for Israeli operations. Because we have information that indicates Emirati diplomats living in Iran are in coordination with their Iranian counterpart in many fields. In the latest reports we’ve gotten, Emiratis coordinated the itinerary of Saudi diplomatic delegation with Iranians. It even disclosed the delegation’s task to Iranians.”

Saudi delegation is scheduled to travel to Tehran soon, in order to obtain information about setting a fire to the Saudi embassy and consulate in Mashhad.

Hamad al-Mazroui is one of the journalists affiliated to the government of the UAE. He has criticized the visit of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to some Gulf States and stressed that Persian Gulf states are not bitten from Erdogan twice.

“There are no benefits for Gulf States from Erdogan’s visit and his trip to the countries, because Erdogan is erratic at the time,” he added.

Al-Mazroui referred that Erdogan didn’t went to the UAE and Oman and said: “Erdogan didn’t pay a visit to the UAE and Oman, because he better knows himself that the two countries are opposed to the Justice and Development and the ruling party in Turkey.”

Saudi Arabia started taking a value-added tax from Arab citizens of the Persian Gulf states.

It means the end of tax-free living in the Gulf States.

The decision was taken two days ago and implies a five percent levy on some goods across the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which unites Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Other Gulf countries are also expected to follow and introduce the value-added tax system by the beginning of 2018. The move has the International Monetary Fund backing, which recommended the Gulf States impose revenue raising measures.

The countries have already introduced taxes on tobacco and fizzy drinks. The tax on tobacco, now at 50 percent, will be increased to 100 percent, the same level as those for energy drinks and sodas.

Residents of the region had enjoyed the tax-free period before the oil prices more than halved in 2014. Arab states of the Persian Gulf have been trying to increase their revenues since then.

Last year, Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest crude exporter announced some austerity measures. Saudi Arabia slashed ministers’ salaries, froze major infrastructure projects and cut state employees’ Benefits. Riyadh managed to reduce the budget deficit by taking these actions.

Saudi government also made unprecedented cuts to fuel and utility subsidies, as it seeks to diversify its revenues by 2020.

It announced the approval on Thursday of a $3.51-billion contract to sell 48 CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters with spare engines and machineguns to the kingdom.

Another deal envisages the transfer of $3.5-billion in 27 AH-64E Apache helicopter gunships and support equipment to the United Arab Emirates. Washington and Riyadh maintain a controversially-close alliance, with the US turning a deaf ear to stop arms sales to the kingdom due to its tattered human rights record and its 2015-present bloodletting against Yemen. Saudi Arabia initiated the bombing campaign in March 2015 to reinstall Yemen’s former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a dedicated Riyadh ally, who had resigned earlier and fled to the Saudi capital. The offensive has killed thousands and displaced millions across the impoverished nation. The UAE has also been lending lavish support to the campaign at Riyadh’s behest. The US approved more than $20 billion in military sales to the kingdom in 2015 alone. Pentagon has even been providing advisory and other sorts of support to the bombardment. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch called for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia over its war on Yemen, saying the United States could be held accountable for the “atrocities” being perpetrated against war-stricken Yemenis. Last week, the New York-based rights body had called for Washington to “immediately” halt arms sales to the Saudi regime and review the participation of US forces in Riyadh’s “unlawful” air raids against Yemen. HRW said Washington has been withholding clarification on reports that US forces were providing aerial refueling, tactical intelligence, or other support to the deadly campaign. Also on the list of US arms recipients as per the recently-announced contracts are Qatar, which has requested eight C-17 military cargo jets and spare engines in a pair of contracts totaling $781 million, and Morocco, which is slated to take delivery of 1,200 TOW 2A anti-tank missiles for $108 million.

Kuwaiti newspaper, “Al-Rai al Aam”, have published its archive in May 10, 1970. The paper printed significant spotlight: “An interesting deal between Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and Iran” and added: “Qasimi sold three islands which control Persian Gulf to Tehran…Tehran paid huge sums plus 20 top model cars in exchange for the islands.”

Many reports referred to the deal between Iran and the ruler of Ras al-Khaimah whereby three islands that Emirates claim the authority now has been transferred to Iran. But this is the first report that was printed in 1970 and explored the transaction details. Emirates don’t deny many reports that have been written on this subject.

This transaction is an example of special economic relations between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. In the meantime, Iran strongly answered the UAE’s claim of the islands and increases its military forces there. President rejected any Emirati’s claim on his visit to the islands.

It is notable that UAE claim the authority of Abu Musa too, which located in Strait of Hormuz and has joined Iran since 1971. Abu Musa is administered by Iran as part of its province of Hormozgan.

Some reports indicate trilateral meeting between the leaders of Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi which was going to be between Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and some officials from the UAE. King Salman had arrived Abu Dhabi while Sisi left Emirates in that morning.

Some other Egyptian sources declared that Emirates didn’t play a mediator role in Egypt- Saudi Arabia’s relations.

The sources added Sisi intended to strengthen relations between the two countries by his current trip to the UAE. He also wanted to continue necessary coordination on some common concern issues. He also congratulated the leaders and the people of the Emirates for 45 years as an independent nation.

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